Bumpdate Week 40

Today’s Siena’s due date! I’m still pregnant. I’m not surprised AT ALL, as I have been fully expecting to reach this day. However, I must admit I’ve been overanalyzing every twinge for the last 5 days or so, wondering if it’s a sign of labor.

I may be one of the only pregnant women to reach this point without a single person telling me that I’m “about to pop.” I actually even had someone tell me specifically that I don’t look “about to pop.” I guess it’s a blessing to appear (and honestly, feel) so comfortable but it’s truly incredible how many people feel the need to comment on the size of my belly in relation to how far along I am. In my personal opinion, it looks and feels like there’s a full size baby in there!

Meal prepping for after Siena’s birth

This week I started maternity leave and it has been wonderful (in California you get state disability pay up to 4 weeks before your due date). I’ve balanced time between socializing with friends (lunch every day with a different friend), exercising, being productive/running errands, spending quality time with Mike and napping. Last Saturday I spent the whole day at the spa at the Rancho Valencia hotel to celebrate Asia’s birthday and it was a wonderful treat.

The beautiful yoga studio at Rancho Valencia Resort

How Many Weeks: 40

Baby The Size Of: A Pumpkin (or, alternatively, a newborn baby).

How I’m Feeling: In limbo. Stuck between anticipation and excitement to meet my baby girl and a bit of fear of the unknown of being a parent. I haven’t been super emotional during this pregnancy but I think that the coming week could get emotional as I wait!

Pregnancy Symptoms: I think I have carpal tunnel! My right pointer and middle finger are often numb…which is apparently a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome. Apparently it’s very common in pregnant women at this stage and nothing to worry about. I also have mild swelling in my feet and hands but shoes still fit (I did take off my rings).

Labor Signs: I actually had already written this post before today and had to modify this section this morning because I finally had some contractions! Last night around 8:30 or 9 I started to have some tightening and period-like cramping. It wasn’t consistent so we didn’t bother timing it – I know that things like this can happen for days or even weeks before labor starts so I tried not to get too excited. It definitely kept me up or a few hours and I woke again at 2 a.m. starving and having some of the same feelings. After I ate a bowl of cereal I went back to bed and woke up feeling a little different in the morning, but no real contractions. Hopefully this is a sign that she’s on her way soon! I’ve heard that none of the natural induction techniques really work but I’m still going to try some!

Sleep: Sleep is just OK at this point. I wouldn’t say it’s bad but I do wake up several times to use the bathroom and sometimes had a hard time falling asleep since I have so much on my mind. I also have been having very vivid dreams about parenthood and breast feeding, probably because I tend to read my “Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” book right before bed!

Maybe our last Sunday nightfish taco date night?!

Exercise: I truly love exercise and so I have spent this week doing quite a bit of it. I took 2 barre classes, 3 yoga classes and have several spent hours walking, including a few 1.5 hour walks. I’ve pretty much disproven that exercise and walking induce labor. Mike and I walked about 6 miles up and down Torrey Pines on Sunday and nothing! She’ll come when she’s ready….

All of my yoga and barre classes are thanks to the wonderful Wildfire Life and I just got a notification that they are reducing their price for a limited time to $99/month (instead of $149/month). Sign up now using this link for a free trial and then use code SWEATYFRIENDS at checkout to get the $99 price going forward (you must convert by Sept 29 for the $99 deal but they’ll throw in another free week since you’ll be cutting your trial short). It’s an amazing deal – you literally can’t get a membership to any boutique studio for less and this way you have unlimited access to HUNDREDS of studios for that price! Wildfire Life has studios in San Diego, Orange County and LA!

Unfortunately placed water bottle

Interesting Moments: The most entertaining and simultaneously disturbing moment of the week was when I got HIT ON while inside a bakery. Yes, I was at a bakery with my also pregnant neighbor, and a man came into the store and started to chat me up. At first I thought he was just being friendly but then he told me that he specifically came into the store to meet me because he saw me from across the shopping center. He began to compliment me, telling me I was looking very beautiful and my hair was nice. I said thank you and tried to use body language to give him the sign that I was freaked out but it didn’t work. He proceeded to walk me and my friend to our car and ask for my phone number to stay in touch!!! My friend loudly told him that my husband wouldn’t appreciate that and he still protested but then finally went away….it was very bizarre. There is no way that he could have not noticed I’m pregnant so the only thing I can think of is that he has a pregnancy fetish!?!? CREEP!

Best Moments: There were so many this week! The spa day with Asia was wonderful and I really enjoyed my hike with Mike on Sunday. I also got to spend a lot of quality time with my friend Allison who stays home with her 8 month son Beau.

long walk in the coast with Allison and Beau

coffee date with mike

Missing: Sleeping/laying on my back or stomach, being able to get in and out of bed easily, being able to see my toes and not feeling huge!

Every 20 or 30 something friend of mine that has wanted to induce labor drank Castor Oil and it worked EVERY TIME!!! It NEVER NOT worked… so if you want her out I will say from watching 4 out of 4 women do it in the last 4 years, that does it….

It’s weird how NOT anxious I was once I hit my due date. Everyone said the last few weeks would drag on but they flew by for me! I had carpal tunnel so bad my entire right arm would go numb at night and I’d wake up bawling from the pain. Thankfully it goes away right after birth!

The number one comment I get on being pregnant is how I carry small compared to how far along I am. On the one hand I think a smaller bump makes life a little easier, but I get tired of explaining that I’m actually measuring right on track, and there is a full-size baby in there!
Good luck with your L&D. Looking forward to “meeting” baby Siena via the internet. 🙂

I have been thinking about you all week! I am so excited to meet baby Siena and for you and Mike to get to experience childbirth and meeting your daughter. I can’t believe someone hit on you!! That is too funny. Maybe he noticed that you weren’t wearing a ring? I’m glad that the end of your pregnancy is going so well and that you are taking advantage of every moment by getting together with friends, doing things you love to do, and spending quality time with Mike. Life is about to change big time! 🙂

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I’m Nicole. I’m a runner, mom to three girls (including twins!), and fitness lover who attempts to live a life of balance as a pizza, craft beer and coffee lover. I live and train near the ocean in San Diego and always keep it real here – there are lots of failures along with my successes in these pages, but what you’ll never see me do is give up!

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